This invention relates to couplings, and in particular to methods and apparatus of watertight and fire-protection couplings for pipes, and conduits that pass through floors and walls and roofs that maintains a seal under expansion and contraction of the floors and walls during heating and cooling conditions.
During construction, it is important to have the capability of preforming openings in concrete surfaces such as flooring so that pipes and conduits can easily pass through the surface. For example, a poured concrete floor needs to have openings that remain so that plumbing and electrical lines can pass into the floor. Thus, these openings cannot be created after the concrete floor has hardened, and instead must be pre-formed in the concrete floor before the floor has become hardened.
Couplers that pass through floors have been proposed that allow pipes and conduits such as metal pipes and PVC pipes to pass therethrough. ProSet Systems has been known to produce a xe2x80x9cRiser Clamp Devicexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cConcrete Stubxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cSelf Seal Stack Assemblyxe2x80x9d which can be used in floors and walls for allowing metal and PVC pipes to pass through concrete forms, and allege that their devices can be used for firestop applications as a barrier to prevent the spread of fire, gasses and smoke between spaces on opposite sides of the floors and walls. Additionally, the ProSet type couplers are intended to create a seal in any space between the pipe/conduit and the coupler so that air, moisture, and water leakage does not pass through.
However, devices such as ProSet devices are prone to having problems that develop over time since the ProSet coupling generally requires a single longitudinal hollow coupler whose walls are directly in contact with the concrete with a sleeve at one end, and the need for waterproof caulking to be used. For example, during temperature changes such as heating and cooling conditions, the concrete floors tend to expand and contract over time. The rigid single locked in coupler of ProSet can crack and split since the single component does not easily expand and contract. Furthermore, any cracks and splits in this coupler can cause leaks especially around at least the sleeve portion reducing any firestop effects, and also does not keep a proper seal against air, moisture and water leakage. Thus, the single coupler device is especially unsuitable for climates that have alternating warm and cold temperature differentials.
In addition, at least one of the ProSet devices (the Riser Clamp Device) specifically states that xe2x80x9cto waterproof . . . fill with caulk . . .xe2x80x9d Thus, these devices can require the added time and expense of needing additional materials and time to form seals such as watertight, airtight, moisture-proof, and the like, when using their couplers.
Many U.S. Patents have been proposed for couplers between floors and walls. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,598 to Cornwell; U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,565 to Cornwell; U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,170 to Cornwell; U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,829 to Cornwall; U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,759 to Harbeke; U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,858 to Cornwell; U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,886 to Harbeke; U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,911 to Logsdon; U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,019 to Marshall et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,872 to MacMillian et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,972 to Johanneck. While some of these patents appear to cover couplers, none of these proposed patented devices completely take into account the natural expansion and contraction of flooring materials, such as concrete that is normally placed about the couplers which can damage the effects of the couplers. These proposed devices are also subject to being prone to cracking and splitting over time, which potentially can cause air, moisture and water leakages as well as reduced effects of using the couplers as firestops, between floors and walls.
A primary objective of the invention is to provide a pipe/conduit coupler for floors and walls that can expand and contract overtime without damage.
A secondary objective of the invention is to provide a pipe/conduit coupler for floors and walls and roofs that is not damaged (i.e. cracking, splitting, and the like) by alternating cold and warm temperature differentials.
A third objective of the invention is to provide a pipe/conduit coupler for floors and walls and roofs that is useful as a firestop preventer to stop fire from passing through the coupler opening.
A fourth objective of the invention is to provide a pipe/conduit coupler for floors and walls and roofs that maintains air, moisture and water seals over time.
A fifth objective of the invention is to provide a pipe/conduit coupler that can be easily installed in desirable selected locations prior to forming walls and pouring floors and for roof penetrations.
A sixth objective of the invention is to provide a pipe/conduit coupler for floors and walls and roofs that can prevent fire, smoke, air, water, and moisture from penetrating through the openings about pipes and conduits.
A seventh objective of the invention is to provide a pipe/conduit coupler for floors and walls and roofs that can prevent insects and gases from penetrating through the openings about pipes and conduits.
An eighth objective of the invention is to provide a pipe/conduit coupler for existing floors, walls and roofs that can prevent insects, gases, fire, smoke, water and moisture from penetrating through the openings about pipes and conduits.
The Presealed System invention can be installed for floors where the device has a bottom sleeve placed on a plywood base, with resilient member on top of the bottom sleeve, and an upper sleeve stacked on the resilient member. Firestops can be positioned in either or both the upper or lower sleeves. A cap can cover the upper exposed end of the upper sleeve. A floor such as a concrete floor can later be poured about the device. Later the cap can be removed and piping/conduits can be placed through the sleeves and resilient member for passing plumbing and electrical lines therethrough.
The invention can have similar applications to be used with penetrations in walls and on roofs as well.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.